


Wash My Hands Of It

by 007Awesome



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Angst, Every one of these fools has issues and they’re handling them poorly, Mystery, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2019-11-13 07:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18027569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/007Awesome/pseuds/007Awesome
Summary: Lewis comes to find that he’s been left with a lot more questions than answers when no one turned up to investigate the definitely haunted mansion (read: bait) that he so lovingly crafted.Alternatively: Revenge waits for no man and it’s a not so fun filled adventure!





	1. Chapter 1

Time was something Lewis thought wouldn't be an issue. He was dead now, thanks to his so called best friend, so he wasn't going anywhere. Patience was something he'd managed to keep from before the fall.

Or at least he thought it was.

His sense of time was shaky at best. Whatever clocks he created never seemed to move and he only had other wisps of ghosts for company. The mansion became his well furnished tomb and he rarely ventured outside of it for fear of his guests of honour arriving while he was gone. 

(That and he had no clue what he'd do if someone happened to see him. Being dead didn't exactly come with an instruction manual.)

But even he could tell that they were taking quite a while to take the bait, years in fact. Somehow along the way he missed the seasons passing, holed up in this mansion he created. It shocked him to see how things had changed and sent him scrambling to try and piece together how long it'd been. Some new feeling found its way around his heart, squeezing painfully. Some of it was worry but a greater part wondered bitterly if they truly forgot all about him after all.

After all that, Lewis wasn't sure what to do at this point. He thought he knew Vivi well enough that she'd hear about the big, definitely haunted mansion and come running to investigate, hopefully with his murderer in tow. That was looking less and less likely as time wore on. 

Instead of spending his time in the coffin downstairs, Lewis actually started paying attention to the weather outside. It wasn't perfect but he could at least tell what time of year it was outside. Right now for instance the ground was still partially covered in waterlogged snow so he assumed they were in the tail end of winter.

Still, he didn't leave the confines of the mansion he created. The wisps, deadbeats he named them, started keeping him more company so he wasn't totally alone. He didn't remember Vivi ever mentioning something like them but they seemed friendly enough. In fact they reminded him a little of his sister's from time to time, flitting above his head with something that might've been giggles in a past life. The comparison always had his thoughts turning to his family and he had got pretty good at distracting himself after that.

Still, he was tremendously grateful for their presence. He'd enter a room and they'd be curled in corners and nooks like satisfied cats, basking in the twilight. Lewis wasn't entirely sure what they were before, if they even died to become these wisps or had just... shown up at some point. Lewis hadn't paid it much mind until one of the suits of armor he'd made with the mansion actually saluted him.

Okay so maybe he should be spending a bit of time out of the mansion. Not to mention it was clear Vivi and Arthur weren't going to be coming to him anytime soon. So one fateful night he hesitantly crept out of the confines of his mansion, briefly glancing up and vainly hoping to use bad weather as an excuse to stay inside. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and rain probably wouldn't have hurt him anyways unfortunately.

It was odd, Lewis thought as he stepped outside, he could still feel that same rage from when he first woke up after his death, except now it was more like a steady warmth instead of a raging inferno. The actual breeze wasn't there much at all though he couldn't feel much nowadays anyways. Instead he held onto that warmth just to avoid feeling numb.

It wasn't all bad though, one benefit of being a ghost was that he didn't really need a car to travel quickly. He could cruise along just as fast and as high up as he wanted. Well, considering his past experiences, it wasn't very high at all. Invisibility wasn't something he'd really practiced anyways, Lewis rationalized.

Tempo, he found as he approached the outskirts, didn't look as different as he would've thought. It'd been... one? Two years, maybe? But something about his self imposed isolation made it seem like the town was a distant memory in his head. Carefully, he let his feet hit the ground. 

He hadn't gotten the best grip on disguising himself but he didn't want to bring attention to himself. Lewis looked at his reflection in a puddle at his feet. It had been so long since he'd seen what he looked like and his disguise looked almost just like he did when he was alive. Almost. His eyes were black as pitch, irises an glowing an unnatural purple. Lewis grimaced and made a mental note that sunglasses were something he was going to need.

Luckily the roads were pretty barren at this time of night. His footsteps were the only sounds besides the breeze as he walked. Despite all that happened, his feet still guided him to his nearest destination. Unfortunately that happened to be a certain car garage.

That warmth from before came back with a vengeance and his fists clenched. Lewis stood on the street, looking up at that damn building and remembering. He even knew exactly which window was Arthur's room and tried to make out whatever was inside. But, as expected, the entire building was dark. Even an insomniac like Arthur was out for the count at this hour.

Except...

Lewis squinted, moving in for a closer look almost without meaning to. While Tempo didn't look much different, the shop did. The big wrench sign they'd had out front was gone, the lot was empty without a car in sight, and the plants out front withered up and weed choked. Lewis never knew Lance to have a green thumb but he certainly wouldn't let things fall by the wayside like that. 

A chill seemed to blow straight through him as he walked towards the door. Lewis didn't bother trying to go inside but he didn't have to. The interior of the shop was bare and empty, not a single chair or random decoration left. It was obvious from looking that no one had been in there for many months at least.

For a good few minutes all Lewis could do was stare. Questions and doubts rolled inside his head as he tried to think up a reasonable explanation. Had something happened to Arthur? That was... probably a good thing wasn't it? He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone else, even if Lewis didn't get the satisfaction. But why would Lance be gone too? Lewis' stomach twisted and he took a step back, almost missing the note taped to the door.

The gist was apparently that the shop was closed indefinitely for personal reasons. With how closed off of a person Lance could be it was a miracle Lewis even had that much to go on. The real jackpot was the phone number written at the bottom, strictly for business calls only. Quickly Lewis ripped the paper off the door, folding it up to keep for later.

It'd have to something pretty big for the both of them to just up and disappear. What happened after his death?

Abruptly Vivi came up in his mind and he wondered if she was still in town as well. If Lewis had had a heart it might've skipped a beat. Oh this better not have affected Vivi or so help him... The paper was crinkling in his fist and Lewis had to take a deliberate breath so he didn't accidentally torch it.

As quickly as he dared, Lewis made a beeline for Vivi's house. A few lights were still giving him a clear view into her living room. He could see Vivi's grandma with her tea in there and steered clear of those windows. Vivi's bedroom was on the second floor and Lewis gave the area a quick check to make sure no one could see him float up into the air.

He'd just peek in, make sure she was there and leave. Maybe. Probably. Honestly Vivi being there was about as nerve-wracking as her not. Lewis definitely needed to get his shit in order before popping back into her life. Your boyfriend's undeath wasn't exactly a light topic, after all.

As it turned out, he needn't have worried considering Vivi's room was totally empty. There was still stuff in it so it wasn't like she was gone gone but Lewis got the impression she hadn't been here in a while. The door to the closet was ajar, showing it was mostly just empty hangers in there. Her bed was neatly made, everything in it's proper order and place. Which is entirely the opposite of Vivi's entire life. Slowly Lewis let himself fall until his feet gently touched the ground again.

Maybe... maybe Vivi was just staying over with someone? And took her entire wardrobe... Lewis shook his head. Her and Arthur going out on an investigation was an idea that stung but he ruled that out too. All he had to go on was that Vivi wasn't here right now and Arthur had apparently been gone for a long while too. Lost in thought, Lewis made his way around to the front of the house.

Whenever Vivi went, she'd probably take Mystery with her. This didn't look like a short trip to him either. He growled in frustration, hand tangling in his hair. It wasn't like he could ask anyone either considering they all thought he was dead!

And who's fault was that?

Lewis huffed and happened to glance up as he passed the front window. He jumped as he met eyes with Vivi's grandma's, still holding her tea. The woman was practically glaring holes in his head and Lewis almost felt afraid for a moment from the sheer intensity of her stare.

Beating a hasty retreat, Lewis realised that he'd let his projection slip. He stopped in a back alley, trying to get his nerves to settle down before attempting to put it back up. After the third try he gave up. His concentration was shot and his best bet was to get out of town before anyone else saw him. 

Lewis blew out a breath, looking down at the crumpled up paper in his hand. He scowled as he stuffed it into a pocket of his suit and got moving again. 

He'd get to the bottom of this and finish what he'd started, no matter how long it took.


	2. Chapter 2

That night the mansion was as restless as his thoughts were. It made sense considering he created it that it'd take after him in more ways than one. The air had a chill to it, an unwelcoming feeling that he found hard to ignore. Deadbeats flitted about his head, warbling questions and trying to curl around his shoulders. Lewis brushed them off, glancing over his shoulder at the rising sun through the window.

He looked down at his hands, turning them over to see the bony plates on the back. If venturing out was going to become a habit of his he'd have to get better at this whole disguising business. Lewis marched out of the room, the deadbeats trailing behind him. 

Disguising himself was still somewhat new to him but conjuring? Well, that he was well versed in. It took a few tries to get the mirror to make it reflect what was actually there but it looked pretty good once he was done with it. Lewis took a step and watched as the flames of his hair threw flickering lights around. 

Yeah, his bleached white skull seemed perpetually set in a scowl and would definitely frighten people away. Lewis hadn't cared much beforehand but it wasn't gonna get him very far right now. It took a bit of concentration but eventually purple flames swept across his face, replacing bone with flesh.

Better but still off putting, Lewis thought, squinting. His fingers, real human ones, paused just beneath his eyes. Lewis turned this way and that, studying them. For some reason he couldn't get the purple out of his eyes. No amount of disguising would work if these eyes made him look like a cheap Halloween decoration. 

Lewis didn't know how long he'd spent in front of that stupid mirror, no amount of effort could take care of his eyes. He sighed, letting his head hit the wall and scowled at the floor. Sunglasses it was then...

Briefly he thought of his sisters, what their reactions would be. By the time he'd fully manifested it was already well past his funeral. He'd like to blame his emotions and thoughts being a mess for him not going to see them. Hell he'd _really_ like to blame Arthur but in reality it was his own fault. The thought of his sisters being afraid of him or his parents horrified looks kept him inside the mansion, inside his own head.

So he kept trying throughout most of the day, for Cayenne, and Belle and little Paprika's sake. 

Predictably, when his efforts got him nowhere fast, he got more and more frustrated and distressed. The temperature of the mansion started to steadily increase and the deadbeats grew more erratic. Some tried in vain to calm him down while others simply ran and hid behind whatever cover they could find. Lewis fists clenched, teeth ground together as his projection flickered before finally dropping at the strain.

Now he looked like he was supposed to, a true vengeful spirit only horror movies could dream up. Lewis's yell broke and reverberated down the halls as his fist connected with the mirror. Shards of glass fell to the floor and the walls seemed to quake. Whatever deadbeats and wisps were out had long since fled in-between the cracks in the walls like mist.

Panting for breath he didn't need, Lewis seemed to dim, flames almost vanishing. With a tired wave of his hand the mirror as a whole vanished. Guess there were more ways than one he could frighten his sisters. Lewis shook his head, trying to collect himself.

Looking outside, the sun was just beginning to set. The sooner he got to the bottom of this, the sooner he could get his peace. As his anger cooled the deadbeats dared to venture out again, peeking out from behind clocks and from under sofas. Still, they kept their distance and their chittering followed him out the door.

 

Before he reached Tempo again he stopped by a gas station on the way to town. Lewis felt a stirring of guilt as he slipped inside, his disguise firmly in place and gaze locked on the floor. Luckily the kid at the counter was busy with another customer and didn't notice him snatch a pair of sunglasses off the rack. He'd tried to make a pair of his own but he didn't want to try holding multiple things up at once. The risk of his disguise dropping in town was too high, he reasoned.

The cashier didn't even look up as he left. Lewis slipped the glasses onto his face, satisfied that they covered his eyes and if they happened to notice the theft it'd just circle back to a dead man.

Now then, first order of business. Lewis slipped a hand into his pocket and felt the paper crinkle. He could call but... Curiosity and wanting got the better of him and Lewis was on his way before he thought better of it. Even after the years away he still could find his way back.

The streets were still populated, although people were already heading home for the night. Cars whizzed by and the occasional pedestrian passed him without a second glance. Despite this, the tension in his shoulders didn't lessen and the tightness in his chest only increased as he neared his destination.

Pepper Paradiso.

It was a small thing but he was relieved to see it just as he remembered. The lights were on and even from here he could catch a whiff of chillies on the air. It brought a smile to his face despite everything, nostalgia coming over him in waves. They'd spend late nights in the kitchen together sometimes. Lewis would need help with his homework and his mama or papa would have him help in taste testing.

The memory of one night in particular stuck in his head so clear it was like it was yesterday. Algebra was putting him through the wringer and he remembers his papa bent over the textbook with him, pointing with the pencil in his hand. Mama had given them both a look for taking up so much of the table with his notes before brandishing their newest creation. That was the night they'd all tried the chocolate covered bhut jolokia special.

Lewis was home at the same time he wasn't, would never be again. Not really. He was as much at home as there people passing him on the sidewalk could be. In his mind's eye he could imagine himself coming inside, throwing the door open only to get ganged up on by his sisters. It was like a habit and he knew he only needed to go up and open the door.

There was a hundred and one reasons he couldn't and it was like tempting fate as he drew closer to the restaurant. Lewis had no idea what he'd do if one of his family members spotted him but he couldn't just leave at this point. Standing on the sidewalk out front now, he could see inside and spotted some familiar faces immediately. 

The place was emptying out a bit but there were still a few customers as his little sister Paprika helped their papa collect the dishes. Well, papa was doing most of the work and Paprika was trailing behind him, chatting away about something. His papa... well, he had a few more gray hairs than he remembered but Paprika... Lewis was shocked, she'd already grown so much! At least a few inches, maybe half a foot even? He wondered if she'd still be able to sit on his shoulder like she used to. 

They turned towards the window he was looking through and Lewis jumped back. He swallowed roughly, not quite willing to look back to see if they saw him. Lewis took off down the road without looking back. 

Smoothing out his hair, he stamped down on the urge to go back. It wasn't like he'd be able to go in there anyways and Lewis didn't think he'd be able to stand just looking inside like some outsider. Sighing, he grabbed the paper from his pocket, determined to throw himself into the next task. The tightness in his chest still hadn't gone away.

It didn't take him long to find a payphone. It also didn't take him too long to realise he had no change to use one. He felt bad pleading his case to some passing couple, spinning a story that he needed to call his parents and he didn't have his cell phone. They'd given him some quarters and Lewis forced a grateful smile. He wished there was some way he could repay these people. It wasn't like he got to keep his wallet.

He watched a few moments as they walked off before unfolding the paper and picking up the receiver. Lewis dialed and waited. And waited. He began to worry that Lance wouldn't pick up the phone when it finally connected.

"Yeah?" The gruff voice on the other end was familiar. Lewis swallowed, not quite knowing what to say. "Hello?" 

"Um," Lewis managed, rubbing his forehead, "Mr. Kingsman?"

Briefly he panicked, wondering if Lance still remembered his voice.

"Yes?" Lance was a touch more annoyed now but Lewis couldn't help but be relieved. "Who is this?"

"I'm-" he hesitated, a scowl forming on his face, "a friend of Arthur's."

A lengthy pause. "This number is supposed to be for business calls, kid."

"Yeah well," he scrambled for a lie, "I just got back into town and no one wanted to give me a straight answer where he went. Plus it doesn't help that he's not answering his phone like usual." 

The laugh he managed sounded fake even to him. Lance was silent on the other end and he worried for a moment that he'd call him on his bullshit.

"Been gone a long while then, kid," Lance's voice was flat. "Surprised you haven't heard something from all the gossips." 

He muttered something under his breath and while Lewis didn't catch it he could tell from his tone it wasn't very kind.

"What's your name, kid?"

Lewis paused, panicked for a moment. "Uh, Liam, sir."

"Liam," Lance drawled out, his tone had shifted. "Funny. Arthur never mentioned you. Ever."

"We haven't seen each other in a while is probably-"

"Now look here, kid," Lance interrupted. "Go ahead and lose this number. I don't care who put you up to this or what stupid rag piece you work for, you can go to hell!"

Whatever Lewis might've said in reply was cut off as Lance hung up on him. He paused for a moment, looking down at the reciever with a glare before carefully hanging it up. Sighing he crumpled up the paper but at the last minute thought better of just tossing it away. 

Something big must've happened and if Arthur was a dead end it was time to start looking for the other member of the gang. Lewis shoved the paper back in his pocket and started walking again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY I’m not dead but this chapter might help get me there!  
> (don’t be like me folks. this poor writer has never seen an outline in her life and has so many abandoned works in progress)

It was almost becoming a routine now. Lewis had gone back to the mansion after the sun began to set and practiced some more with keeping his projection up. He finally felt like he was getting a hang of it and started trying some new things with... mixed results. The deadbeats were still a bit panicked after he phased halfway through a wall and had gotten stuck. It took him an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to get out of it.

Maybe he was getting better at it all but the effort left him exhausted in a way he hadn't been since he'd died. Lewis sighed, letting his projection drop. He wished he could time himself somehow, see how long he could keep it up.

Guiltily he glanced down at the sunglasses on dresser beside him. Lewis had still had a few quarters left over from what that friendly couple had given him and had sneaked them onto the counter on his way back to the mansion. The cashier had hardly noticed, reading some magazine while Lewis pretended to browse. The change didn't quite make up for the cost but he felt a bit better about it.

The deadbeats, having calmed down a bit, followed along as he floated down the hall. Tomorrow he'd start his search for answers in earnest. His search for Vivi. The simple way to start would be to ask her family but simple didn't always mean possible. They'd probably be more concerned with their daughters dead boyfriend visiting than anything else. Plus he was fairly certain Vivi's grandma might exorcise him from how she caught him snooping around the other night. Lewis shuddered.

So, her family was obviously a no go, as was Arthur's considering Lance cursed him out over the phone. That left him with the Tome Tomb, Vivi's actual salaried job when there weren't ghost hauntings around. Admittedly his hopes weren't high but it was better than nothing. Unfortunately for him, as he discovered last night, it was a Sunday and the shop had long since closed for the day. 

At least it gave him time to practice. Or stew. 

He'd come to a stop before one of the windows, peering out at the sunrise. A deadbeat lazily floated overhead, obviously wondering what he was doing. He let himself relax, raising a hand and letting the little wisp curl around his fingers. The tiny deadbeat grabbed on as best it could and warbled in question. 

Truth be told, Lewis wasn't sure how well this would work, if at all. He only visited Vivi's work occasionally and had met the owner a few times. Vivi definitely had plenty of stories about them so at least he wasn't going in totally blind. Would they recognize him at all? If it didn't work out he supposed he could just wait until Vivi came back... if she ever came back. Lewis let out a rattling sigh and tried to occupy himself until night fell.

 

\---

 

It was getting late but Tome Tomb luckily kept later hours than most of the stores around here. Lewis stood in front of the shop now, wringing his hands and wondering if he should just bite the bullet and go in. They didn't know him that well. Lewis could almost fool himself into thinking he wouldn't be recognized.

He'd done all he could though. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't actually change his appearance. It was either ghost or almost human, no in between. Still, Lewis had tried to change his clothes a bit. Gone was the usual vest and ascot and in it's place was a well worn jacket. It was still a subtle shade of purple just like he remembered from high school. Going with something familiar was a bit easier for him. It definitely wouldn't help for his concentration to slip mid conversation. It wasn’t much but it’d have to do.

Finally, after a few people were starting to give him weird looks, he mentally said screw it and walked inside. What's the worst that could happen? He was already dead anyways.

Clearly he underestimated his own bad luck.

There at the desk was a woman dressed in... some kind of costume. He didn't recognize the cosplay but he did recognize her. Vivi's rather... energetic co-worker was hard to forget. Lewis almost turned right back around as she noticed him. Chloe immediately perked up upon seeing a customer and carefully adjusted the hood on her costume. Considering she looked half asleep when he first came in it probably hadn’t been the most exciting day. 

"Hey! Let me know if you need anything!" Chloe waved and watched him, clearly very much wanting him to need something.

"Ah, actually," Lewis barely remembered that he had to walk and not float over. At least it seemed she didn't recognize him yet. "I was wondering if-"

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" She leaned onto the counter. "I can recommend some stuff if you want!"

She was just as excitable as Vivi used to tell him. "No, no, that's not-" Lewis scratched the back of his head. "Do you... happen to know where Vivi is?"

Immediately Chloe's face soured. Only for a moment but her disappointment was obvious. She stood back up and shrugged, voice lacking the pep from before. 

"No clue. She had a buncha vacation time saved up and cashed it all in all of a sudden."

Well that... wasn't the best news. Still, nothing had happened to her and that was good, right?

"Any idea when she'll be back?" He asked resisting the urge to fidget when Chloe narrowed her eyes.

"No..." She trailed off, looking him up and down. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Well-" Lewis did fidget now as Chloe stared at him with blatant suspicion. 

"Are you harassing customers again, Chloe?" 

Both of them jumped at the voice from behind the counter. From an office behind her emerged Duet, a small smirk on their face. How often did they manage to sneak up on people?

"No!" Chloe blustered, gripping the sleeves on her costume. "He was just asking about Vivi!" 

"I see," they said, turning to him. Lewis definitely didn't like the knowing look in their eyes. Part of him was almost glad he wasn’t human considering he definitely would’ve broken out in a nervous sweat as Duet looked him up and down. “Do me a favor and reorganize the shelves in the back, would you? Some kids blew through here this morning. I’ll take over here."

Chloe looked reluctant. She glanced between Duet and Lewis before groaning. "Fine." 

"Thank you." Duet slipped into the spot Chloe stood in as she slumped off towards the back. They turned their attention back to him. "Nice to see you again."

Shit.

"Do you know where Vivi is?" Lewis asked. Might as well get to the chase.

Duet huffed, a barely there smile on his face. "My guess is as good as yours, Lewis."

Lewis frowned. "You're not..." 

Scared? Suspicious? Questioning any of this?

Their smile widened a bit. "Nope."

Right, Vivi had said they were cryptic as hell. He never guessed to this extent though. Their lackluster reaction was putting him on edge.

"You've been gone a while, Lewis," they offered casually. "Missed quite a bit."

"Like?" He dared to hope, taking a step closer to the desk.

Duet shook their head. "Even if I had the full story it's not exactly my place to tell."

"Just-" Lewis had to pause to keep from shouting. Unbeknownst to him the temperature in the store had gone up a degree or two. Duet merely raised an eyebrow. "Can you tell me what you _do_ know?"

They hummed for a moment, drumming their fingers on the countertop and studying him. Lewis wasn't sure what they were looking for but after a moment they reached under the desk and pulled out a pen and paper. His eyebrows furrowed as they scrawled out an address. 

"I'll do you one better." They ripped the paper out and slid it across the counter. "You'll find your answers here."

"Where is this?" Lewis carefully picked up the paper and squinted. It certainly wasn’t in town.

Duet hummed. "You'll have to find that out, won't you?"

Despite everything Lewis found himself almost pouting. "Anyone ever tell you that you're amazingly unhelpful?"

They laughed at that. "Oh, every now and again." Duet crossed their arms. "I'd suggest you get going before Chloe gets done back there. You’ve got someone waiting for you there, after all."

Lewis's eyes widened. If it wasn't Vivi it had to be...

"Arthur?" He didn't realize he said that out loud until Duet nodded. The paper crinkled as it was crumpled in his hand. 

The temperature rose again and Duet sighed as Chloe shouted to turn up the air. "I hope you'll make the right decision, Lewis."

His jaw was clenched tight enough that his teeth creaked under the pressure. It was, frankly, a miracle he hadn't torched the paper. With some effort and breaths he didn't need, Lewis gave them a tight nod and left. He felt their eyes on his back the whole time.

When he was calm enough to actually plan his next move, he tried to forget the look on their face as they gave him that warning.

 

\---

 

Lewis didn't know what he expected. He asked around a bit, playing at a lost tourist who needed directions. Most people gave him confused looks or hapless shrugs and he was getting frustrated. The old familiar anger still bubbled under the surface but he was able to keep his temper better than before.

Finally some kind passerby took pity on him and looked it up. Lewis shifted his weight from foot to foot as they typed it in. Their expression at the result definitely wasn't exactly encouraging. 

“What is it?” He asked, itching to just take the paper back and go find someone else.

"This is...” they glanced back down at their phone, “a psychiatric hospital?" 

Lewis, shocked, silently took back the offered paper.

“Are you sure you got the right address?" They asked, clearly confused.

“Yeah, yeah I’m sure,” Lewis said quietly, looking down at the address. _What the hell happened, Arthur?_


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Lewis got his act together enough to actually go investigate, it was well past visiting hours. Because of course it was. The receptionist looked mildly annoyed that she even had to say so. Which, okay, it was well past ten. He understood. 

Still, his own curiosity wouldn't let him just go back after all of this. It'd take a bit of concentration but he could get in there. What was Lewis going to do once he got in? Good question! Especially considering he had zero plan besides that. Lewis knew the 'how' of his death but Arthur had the 'why'. 

Briefly, he stopped to consider adapting his original revenge plan to now. After all, it wasn't like Arthur could very well run off. But the idea put him off enough that he mentally threw it out the window. It was a hospital after all, not a haunted mansion.

Lewis left the building and glanced around. Of course it was deserted at this time of night so no one noticed when he circled around back. Lewis dropped his disguise and took a breath he didn't need. After practicing almost non-stop for the past week Lewis might be at his limit. It was like a work out but he just kept adding more and more weight. Lewis reasoned he could take a break after this though. If it went well he wouldn't ever need to come back here. 

Lewis nearly jumped as a car rolled past and it took him a moment to calm his nerves despite himself. He had never done anything like this while he was alive. Well, besides sneaking into the occasional abandoned building with Vivi and Arthur. The fact he even bothering with stealth was ridiculous. It wasn't like someone could call the cops on a ghost. 

Shaking himself, he concentrated a moment. Invisibility wasn't something he had to think too hard about at least. There was a period just after his manifestation that he hadn't even wanted to look at himself. Turns out that actually mattered if you were a ghost, intent was everything. He hadn't done it much after creating the mansion, seeing as the deadbeats always seemed to know where he was anyways.

Lewis briefly looked down to make sure he wasn't visible. Someone seeing him as he walked though a solid brick wall might cause a fair bit of panic. 

Intangibility and walking through walls, on the other hand, was still a foreign and not overly pleasant experience. It was easier once Lewis got the hang of it but his body very much seemed to know that it shouldn't be sharing the same space as brick and mortar.

Despite his discomfort, he slipped in without a problem. Lewis found himself in a hallway with florescent bulbs buzzing overhead which is about what he expected. A few offices were situated along it with colorful flyers and pictures taped to the wall. Everything was just a touch too bright to be comfortable to him.

Lewis looked this way and that before he realized the glaring flaw with this plan. He had zero clue where Arthur was. Or even a general direction to look in. 

There was no helping it, he thought even as his irritation grew. Down the hall Lewis found a set of double doors that looked promising and went through. It looked a bit more promising still when he found patients milling around on the other side.

A nurse's station sat walled off in the middle of the ward with other rooms surrounding it. Lewis searched the faces of the patients he saw watching TV or playing cards. He had to avoid running into anyone, he wasn't sure what would happen and he didn't want to find out.

Further back was another set of hallways with smaller rooms. Bedrooms, he found after poking his head in. Still he found no Arthur and he huffed a sigh before going back the way he came. A passing nurse nearly jumped from the sound but the ghost didn't notice.

Lucky for him, the place seemed calm. Most of the patients were either watching TV or relaxing elsewhere. Lewis didn't linger long when it was clear Arthur wasn't there. Even if it was ridiculous, he still felt a little bad for spying on these people.

There were a few different wards in the building, the layout being the same for each. The patients were grouped together either by age or maybe condition but he had no idea. Lewis was getting fed up by the time he entered the last ward. Maybe Duet had been screwing with him after all. They could be cryptic from what Vivi told him but...

He resolved to check this last one over before skulking back to mansion. Lewis didn't really know what he'd do after that... Was waiting all he could do after all?

Stuck in his own thoughts, he had to do a double take at the sight of orange hair. Lewis had poked his head through the doorway for a moment but it was still bright enough to catch his attention. In an instant he was through the door and floating before the man who'd killed him years before.

He wasn't visible but Arthur wouldn't have noticed him anyways. The man was sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hand. Without the usual gel, his hair fell limp around his face. Lewis felt the familiar swell of anger at the sight of him again. His hands clenched at his sides and he felt that finally, finally he could get his answers. 

Then Arthur looked up. 

In short? He looked terrible. The worst Lewis had ever seen him. Considering Lewis had seen him after days of tinkering, red bull, and poor choices? That was saying something. The man rubbed at his eyes and brushed the hair away from his face. Insomnia was his best guess. 

His gaze strayed down and Lewis squinted a bit. Was that...?

Lewis hadn't realized his concentration had slipped until Arthur blinked. It took him a moment to actually register the figure of a spectre before him. His eyes widened for a moment and Lewis froze, caught in the act.

Then Arthur shrieked. 

Lewis jumped, startled out of his shock as the mechanic scrambled back on his bed away from him. The ghost scowled down at Arthur. Really, he probably should've expected this but he wasn't going to get anything out of this if Arthur brought the staff to them!

"Arthur-" he ground out.

The mechanic sucked in a breath at the sound of his own name, hands clenching at the matress. Then, his former best friend did something he didn't expect. Arthur's eyes narrowed and in the next instant he was on his feet and walking straight towards him what the hell-

"I’ve had it with supernatural bullshit," Arthur snapped, angrily pointing at him before pacing back further into the room. Lewis blinked. 

"I've already blown up my own damn life!" Arthur gave a self depreciating laugh, throwing his arms out. "Might as well keep it up!"

Lewis... wasn't really sure how to respond. Arthur seemingly didn't recognize him and the fact made Lewis all the more angry. Of course he didn’t. He wondered if even his family would recognize him without the disguise anymore. 

"Look, I might not care much but I absolutely refuse to be haunted on top of everything else!" Arthur let out a breath, the tirade seemingly exhausting him. He ran a hand through his hair. "Just leave, please."

As he looked the mechanic over again, Lewis zeroed in on the minute trembling in his hand. Well, he was still scared but more angry. Speaking of his hands...

"What the hell happened to your arm." 

Arthur's face screwed up in confusion. "What?" He looked down to his left arm. Instead of an actual, well, arm, it was a plastic prosthetic. The way he moved with it was unnatural and the fact that it was there at all was... not concerning, just curious. 

"Why does that even matter?" Arthur asked, exasperated.

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "Tell me."

Arthur stared at him in blatant suspicion, holding the prosthetic in his other hand. He seemed to back down after a moment, sighing and looking away. This seemed more in line with the Arthur that Lewis remembered, albeit a bit more haggard than usual.

"It was just... an accident."

"Yeah, no shit," Lewis snapped, arms crossed.

The mechanic wouldn't look him in the eye, stubbornly glaring at the floor. Arthur huffed after a moment and shook his head.

"Look, I'm just- I'm tired of this. I'm tired of ghosts and the supernatural shit." Arthur runs a hand through his hair and his expression is oddly resigned as he meets Lewis's eyes again. "If you were gonna kill me... You would have already. And I really don't have the energy for a full blown haunting right now."

He was taken aback a moment at how... almost casual his tone was. Like this was a minor fender bender and they were swapping insurance info instead of, well... Lewis finally facing his friend/murderer after years. He wasn't expecting this.

Finally, Lewis was the one to look away this time. He scoffed, hands clenching the sleeves of his suit. 

"I'm not like you, Arthur."

Part of him helpfully pointed out that had been his exact plan for the past couple years. A more rational side chalked it up to the setting. He didn't want to have the staff run in and see that. 

But even then, Lewis knew he could easily work around it. What did he care anyways? He was a ghost after all and human police weren't exactly an obstacle anymore.

So why then was he just standing here?

The ghost stubbornly shoves that question aside as Arthur starts talking again.

"Yeah," Arthur's expression twisted into something Lewis couldn't put a name to, "you're probably right."

A tense, awkward silence settled over the two of them. Arthur was still standing off to the side, warily glancing at Lewis. Despite his cavalier attitude earlier, he wasn't so careless as to try to pass him to get to the door. Lewis himself was stuck, uncertain what he even wanted to do now. Instead he stared at the wall opposite as if it personally offended him.

For whatever reason Lewis wasn't going to dwell on, there would be no revenge tonight. That wasn't what he was here for to begin with.

"Why are you here?" Lewis asks, not looking at Arthur.

"Why are you?" He shot back. "I don't even know you."

Something flared up in Lewis and he huffed a laugh before he could stop himself. It wasn't a very pleasant one. When he turned back to Arthur the mechanic had taken a step back. 

"Look," Arthur tried, hand raised, "I don't know what happened to you but-"

"Oh of course you don't know, how could you really," Lewis turned to him, moving closer, "it'd be hard to recognize anyone after what you did."

For the first time since Lewis appeared, it looked like the fear was winning out in Arthur. Another step back.

"What?"

Lewis followed. "Because I'm not a person anymore, Arthur. I don't have eyes or hair or fucking _skin_ anymore. No one would be able to recognize me now. I'm stuck like this and all I can do is pretend."

Another shaky step from the mechanic with the ghost slowly closing the gap. 

"Wait-"

"No! I am done waiting!" Lewis snapped, hand fisting over his locket. "I'm done! You don't get any more time! You couldn't even have given me the _satisfaction_ , huh? You had to take that too?!"

Breaths coming faster now, Lewis continued. "You both left me to rot. You left me and Tempo behind. Was this what you wanted, Arthur?" 

Lewis gestured around to the small, bare bones room they stood in now. Arthur was shocked into silence for a moment, confusion and fear plain on his face.

"Was this what you wanted?!" Lewis shouted, not caring who heard anymore. "Was it worth it, Arthur?"

Something a little like understanding crossed Arthur's face. Slow, horrified understanding. The mechanics back hit the wall.

"No," he whimpered, eyes wide. And he wasn’t answering Lewis’s earlier question.

"Oh yes." the ghost was towering over the man now. His shout had lowered, mockingly friendly. "But you still don't recognize me, huh?" His hands slammed into the wall on either of Arthur's head and the mechanic flinched. The man seemed shocked into silence, not that Lewis would've answered him anyways. 

"Let me help with that," Lewis growled. Throwing on his human disguise had never been easier and it covered him in a flourish.

Arthur's eyes widened and finally, finally, the ghost saw the recognition on his face. The man was shaking, what from he didn't know, but he still took a measure of satisfaction from seeing him cower. Arthur shook his head, pressing himself further into the wall behind him in an attempt to get away.

Then he reached a hand out. Lewis frowned, not sure what he was trying to pull. The hand shook as Arthurs finger tips briefly pressed against the ghosts chest.

In the next instant both of them recoiled. Lewis batting his hand away and practically flying across the room away from him. Arthur gasped, almost collapsing to the floor, hand clutched to his chest. He looked at Lewis like he could hardly believe he was real. 

"Don't-" Lewis's chest heaved, "Don't touch me."

"Lewis?" 

That little disbelieving whisper was what got him. Equal parts horror and something else. It was an odd sensation, to have your heart practically beating out of your chest when you didn’t even _have one._ This wasn't satisfying anymore. Instead of hot anger it was a long forgotten cold. Just the same as that damned cave. Dark, cold, and alone.

He hardly noticed when Arthur stood up. The mechanic took a step towards him, hand clutching at his prosthetic.

This wasn't worth it. Lewis wasn't even sure what he was doing here but it wasn't worth it anymore. He could figure something out but he wasn't ready for... whatever this was.

Arthur jumped when the ghost disappeared without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the delay, this chapter gave me a hell of a time!
> 
> I got to the scene where Lewis actually finds Arthur and then the dialogue was all kinds of difficult to wrangle in the direction that I wanted. Not sure if I’m entirely satisfied with it but this has already been in editing hell for the past few days so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Anyways, I feel like I should explain Lewis and Arthur's interaction a bit in case anyone was wondering about my line of thinking. 
> 
> In this au, Arthur's never been to the mansion and has wrongly assumed Lewis merely stayed dead. That combined with some events we'll get to later makes for an Arthur that's pretty done with the whole ghost hunting business.
> 
> Lewis on the other hand has been left to his own devices for a couple years. He still has that temper but it's cooled a bit over time. (This combined with other factors that'll be revealed later makes for a bit less combative Lewis).
> 
> And thank you so much for sticking around this long! There's more to come for these two later!


	5. Chapter 5

The mansion wasn't comforting now. It felt exactly like what it was, a coffin. Despite the high ceilings and vast halls it felt as if the walls were pressing in on him. The rooms felt dark and oppressive and he was finding it hard to breathe.

In short, Lewis was not coping well.

The deadbeats were valiantly trying to help as he tore through the mansion. If he were paying more attention he might notice this is the most he's ever seen crammed into one room. But he wasn't, so Lewis paced, hands clenching and unclenching all the while. The trip back had been quick but careless. Not that Lewis cared much about someone seeing him right now.

The thing that angered him the most was that he couldn't catch his breath. It was ridiculous! He didn't even have _lungs_ anymore, much less a need to use them! At least that's what he kept telling himself. Lewis was still practically hyperventilating as he barrelled out the back door- when had he even made that?

Finding himself outside, he stopped, closed his eyes, and breathed. Lewis wasn't sure how long he stood there. Hunched over and breathing in cool night air seemed to help, his chest didn't feel so tight anymore at least. When he opened his eyes again Lewis let out a shaky breath. 

A flashback, he realized with a scoff. Just a flashback. 

When Arthur had touched him, his only thought had been I don't want to fall again. Telling himself it was ridiculous didn't make it any less true. He supposed his pysche didn't care if it made sense or not anyways. 

Now he didn't feel angry or afraid. Lewis just felt drained. With a sigh, he turned to head back inside. 

Plastered against the windows were dozens of worried faces. More deadbeats than he even knew were living in the mansion all clambored to watch him. Lewis blinked, taken aback. One little brave deadbeat slipped out through the crack in the door and nervously floated towards him.

Were they scared of him? Or... scared for him? 

Either way he must've caused quite a panic with his less than stellar entrance. Lewis extended a hand and that was all the invitation it needed. The deadbeat zipped up to him and curled around his wrist, chittering a mile a minute. That seemed to open the flood gates.

All at once Lewis had a veritable storm of deadbeats swarming him. Lewis waved them out of his face but otherwise let them do their thing, he could practically feel the concern coming off of them. The sun had already started to rise. How long had he been out here? No wonder they were so worried.

Lewis and his deadbeat entourage ventured back inside to wait for nightfall. Well, he wasn't waiting for much anymore. Lewis didn't see himself going back to that hospital anytime soon. Not to mention he was kicking himself now that he hadn't even thought to ask about Vivi.

The whole thing was a shit show.

And Lewis... didn't want to dwell on it right now.

So, as the sun rose, he descended down into the mansion. The basement was just as he left it, it wasn't even dusty after so long. He had to assure quite a few little wisps that he was fine on the way. Or he was going to be anyways.

He just wanted to rest for a while. 

So Lewis situated himself inside the coffin again and the lid silently slid shut again. It was like he never left.

\--———————————--

Lewis became aware again with a start, his skull bouncing off the back of the coffin. Grumbling, he pushed the lid aside and stepped out. 

Immediately a deadbeat was in front of him, little hands waving in a panic. What on Earth was happening now? Lewis grumbled, walking past the wisp and making his way upstairs. His annoyance had started to shift into something a bit more curious.

Lewis was used to the little chittering noises the deadbeats made but right now... It was more like wailing. It echoed off the walls and he found himself going a bit faster. The sound was haunting for lack of a better word. Lewis didn't even know they had it in them.

As soon as he got back to the main floor, a few deadbeats were on him. They were nervous, flitting around his head and nervously glancing towards the hellish sounding commotion. Lewis made his way towards the front, ignoring the deadbeats trying to tell him something.

He rounded the corner and froze. The front door hung open and the deadbeats were swarming around something just outside. It was hard to tell just what was happening but he could still see the orange peaking out in between.

What the _hell_?

He stood there for a moment longer, only now hearing the other man's shouting over the rest of the noise. Before he realized what he was doing, Lewis was stalking forward. All at once the deadbeats paused and scattered away while a few still hovered nearby and shouted unintelligible things at Arthur. 

With the deadbeats gone, Arthur was revealed, hands over his head and crouched on the grass in front of him. Lewis closed the distance, glaring down at him. His first instinct was to grab him, demand what exactly he thinks he's doing. Then he remembered what happened last time and settled for just crossing his arms. 

When Arthur realized he wasn't being attacked anymore, he hesitantly picked his head up. Lewis could see the man freeze as soon as he saw his legs. Arthur yelped, falling backwards and looking up at him with wide eyes. All Lewis did was watch as the other man slowly got to his feet.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lewis ground out. The deadbeats hissed behind him as Arthur took a step back.

He looked a bit better than he did in the hospital. A bit less _about to pass out_ and more _should really take a nap_. The dark circles under his eyes were still there but he was clean shaven at least. His characteristic hair was gelled back up, albeit a bit messed up thanks to the deadbeats.

Arthur swallowed, glancing at the wisps behind Lewis and dusting himself off. The glint off his hand caught the ghosts eye, when did that change? Probably wanting to diffuse the situation, Arthur cleared his throat.

"They uh- wouldn't let me have this. In there, I mean." He seemed to move better with this one. The ghost watched as he moved the fingers on the prosthetic. Briefly, he wondered if Arthur built it before deciding he didn't care.

"You didn't answer me."

Arthur sighed, fidgeting. "Right." He was looking between the deadbeats and somewhere in the distance, not at him. Lewis narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers when Arthur remained silent.

"Arthur-"

"I figured you had shown up for revenge or something," Arthur blurted out, "after the fact, at least. But I asked around and eventually worked my way back to the Tome Tomb and Duet said you'd been asking about Vivi."

Lewis was silent as he dug around in his pockets. "Before I, ah, went away I lent Vi the van. She wanted to keep investigating and it's as much hers as it is mine now anyway."

Arthur thrust his hand out and in it was a cell phone. It was an older one but still lit up. The mechanics hand shook a bit as he held it out to him.

"I don't know quite where she's at and I know it isn't much but-" he makes a gesture for Lewis to take it, "I figured I could do this at least."

"What," Lewis said, not taking the phone.

Arthur scratched the back of his head. "Vivi's number should be pulled up and... she doesn't remember you but I figured I'm still kind of on her shit list so I don't know if she'll even talk to me. Plus it's-"

"What do you mean she doesn't remember me?"

Lewis's tone was a mix of shock and anger. Eventually he decided on anger and advanced on the mechanic, who hurriedly put some distance between the two of them.

"I don't know how it happened!" Arthur had his hands up, placating. "She doesn't remember the cave or anything before that! I tried to remind her but- Well that's not important right now. She knows who you are but not really if that makes sense."

It really didn't. Lewis's mind was in a desperate scramble for what the hell could've happened. Arthur obviously couldn't have caused it, despite how nice and convenient that would've been. Trauma was a likely suspect but would she really forget everything? Like he didn't even exist anymore? It stung if he was being entirely honest.

He... recalled not wanting her to remember him like _that_ but...

His thoughts were in a downward spiral at this point and he almost didn't notice when Arthur spoke again.

"I'm sorry." And he did sound remorseful.

"Shut up." Not that Lewis wanted to hear it regardless.

Arthur didn't seem too taken aback by Lewis's response, instead holding the phone out again. Lewis looked from his face down the cell phone. On the screen was Vivi's picture and _god_ , she looked just like he remembered. It was an old picture but he could see her making a silly face for the camera and his heart ached with how much he missed her. Hesitantly, he reached out.

Sparks arched between his hand and the phone and they both jumped back. The phone dropped to the ground, screen dead. Arthur tried turning it back on but the device was completely fried.

"Okay, well," he said, pocketing the phone, "technology doesn't mix well with ghosts."

Lewis's hand was still hovering in the air. His chance had been right there and now it was gone. To have it snatched from him like that... Lewis sighed, hand falling and mood worse than it had been in weeks.

Arthur bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck. Probably thinking what else he could possibly offer him. Lewis just wanted him off his damn lawn.

"Why'd you come here?"

"I already said-"

"That's not what I meant," Lewis cut in, annoyed, "you figured I was there for revenge? I could've been. So, what, you come looking for me right after? How'd you even find this place?"

"It's not like you made it that hard," Arthur huffed, "Tempo doesn't have a whole lot of haunted mansion rumors floating around, you know."

"Great, great," Lewis shook his head. "So you get out of a psych ward and immediately go hunting for the guy who was probably going to kill you."

"Well, not _immediately_..."

He threw his hands up. "Same difference! How'd you even get here? Does Lance even know you decided to take a road trip after all this?"

Arthur scratched the back of his head. "Kind of?"

Lewis crossed his arms again. "Kind of."

"I left a note?"

"You're a jackass." 

Arthur had the gall to look offended and Lewis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look, just- go home Arthur."

"I can't." Lewis looked up to shoot him a glare as he continued. "I thought you were dead- that you were just gone and... I have to make it right or I'll never be able to live with myself."

Lewis scoffed. "So what? I'm obligated to listen to my murderer plead for my forgiveness?"

"No," the mechanic shrunk back a little, looking away, "and that's not what I'm asking for. You don't have to forgive me and I didn't expect you to."

"Then why?!" 

"Because I didn't want you to end up like that!" Arthur grimaced. "I remember all those wraiths we've seen. They didn't even remember who they used to be. Just- just filled with hate and nothing else wandering around in some dingy old basement somewhere."

He sighed. "I didn't want you to have to spend who knows how long like that."

Lewis huffed, looking away. "Maybe you should've thought of that before you killed me."

Arthur didn't seem to have anything to say to that. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced back towards the road. 

"Look, I- I can go get a new phone or something and just put it on speaker if you want or-"

"What I want," Lewis interrupted, "is for you to leave." A deadbeat over his shoulder chirped in agreement.

The other man seemed to deflate but nodded his head. "Okay, okay, but-"

Quickly he fished out a piece of paper and a pen from his jacket pocket. He awkwardly used his leg to write on and held it out to Lewis.

"I don't want whatever it is you're offering."

"It's Vivi's number, if you ever get a chance." He hesitated. "And mine too, in case you change your mind." When Lewis still didn't move he continued. "Look, you can rip it up as soon as I leave but at least it's an option."

The ghost gave the offending paper a long, hard look before reaching out for it. Quickly snatching it from the other man's hand, Lewis gave him a spiteful glare as he looked it over. Vivi's name was at the top. He didn't quite remember the number she had before the cave but it was definitely different from this one. New phone then. Arthur's was just underneath it. Since Vivi's took up most of the scrap of paper, his was crammed in like an afterthought.

Arthur seemed satisfied at least. He took a few hesitant steps back, pausing at the hiss of a nearby deadbeat. 

"I'll just-" he gestured behind him. 

"Get out of here."

The mechanic didn't need any more invitation. He hurried off towards the road, to where Lewis assumed he had a car parked. The ghost pretended not to notice how the man glanced behind him as he went.

The wisps looked over his shoulder curiously as he re-entered the mansion. Lewis had done it before... he could just use a pay phone again right? Something a bit like hope tried wiggling it's way in again after the phone fiasco. She didn't remember him apparently but she knew who he was supposed to be right? Lewis told himself that even if she didn't, just hearing her voice and knowing she was okay would be enough.

His expression soured as he read Arthur's name again. Decisively, he ripped the paper in two, crumpling Arthur's half and letting it fall to the floor. Lewis stalked off, pocketing the remaining paper with a renewed plan for the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More deadbeats and gratitious italics make for a good time!


	6. Chapter 6

Despite his excitement of actually having an end goal, Lewis found himself wavering again. In front of the pay phone, change in hand and her number in the other, he was hesitating. Vivi didn't remember him. But that was just what Arthur told him, yeah?

The sun had begun to set and despite few people being out at this hour, Lewis still felt self conscious. Nerves like he hadn't experienced since high school. Though to be fair, this definitely had higher stakes than high school. At least this time he didn't have his sister's eavesdropping outside his door...

Quickly he shook the thought off and actually got around to picking up the receiver. Before he could overthink it anymore, he was shoving the change in and dialing a number he didn't know anymore. It rang once. Twice. Three times. 

Lewis had started to fidget by the time it actually went through. From the other side of the line, he heard the rustling of fabric and something knocking around. His grip tightened on the receiver as he heard a yawn, before she finally spoke.

"Hello?" 

She sounded tired. How late was it where she was? Did Lewis wake her up? He was stuck for a moment, staring at the payphone in front of him. Vivi shifted again on the other end.

"Hello?" She sounded a bit more awake now, dragging out the O at the end. Probably annoyed that she was woken up. Vivi was always the heavy sleeper of the group. 

"Um," Lewis finally managed after a moment, clutching the cord in his other hand, "hi."

A beat passed. "Hi?"

He couldn't help it, the little smile that came to his face. She was okay. Tired, yes, but fine. Wherever she was. He wondered what all she was doing. If Mystery was curled up beside her in the back of the van or hiding under the covers in some hotel room.

"M'sorry, did you need something?" A creak. From a bed maybe?

"No. I mean, yeah, actually I do but-" oh man he had no plan. He really should've thought this through. His stomach was doing flips and this was entirely unfair.

"Yeah?"

It was Vivi, she'd understand.

"It's Lewis, actually." 

Silence. He couldn't even catch any background noise to guess what she could be doing. The cord in his hand was being twisted into knots.

Finally, a sigh. "Did Arthur put you up to this?"

"What? No!" Lewis frowned. "He- I got your number because I was looking for you and-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Vivi cut in, tone firm. "I don't care if he put you up to it or not, you probably had good intentions, alright? It's not gonna work."

"Vi-"

"Nope, I'm talking and you're gonna listen, mister." Lewis shut up. "I don't know who you are or who Lewis is. You can tell Arthur or whoever that I'd really appreciate it if you'd stopped, okay?"

This... It wasn't supposed to go like this. Lewis’ heart fell as reality sank in. He expected that Arthur might be telling the truth but he had some hope. Maybe she'd remember his voice or hear him out at least? Not this. What the hell had Arthur done?

"Vivi I don't know what Arthur's been telling you but listen," he swallowed, "I-I missed you, okay? I know you don't remember and a lot has happened to both of us but- god-"

Lewis untangled his fingers from the phone cord, tangling them in his hair. Think, Lewis, think! Something to convince her you're the real deal.

"Do you remember," he leaned against the pay phone, "that time in high school where we decided to sneak into that abandoned warehouse? I think they used to make shoes or something, I don’t know. There were all those stupid ghost stories about it when we were kids. You convinced me and-"

Lewis bit his lip, remembering how she'd pitched it to him and Arthur.

"You convinced me to climb over the fence with you on a school night. We had flashlights and these shitty little 'ghost detectors' you got for cheap. I remember how excited you were to catch a ghost. Whatever it was."

He almost laughed at the memory now. "And then, when I was trying to boost you up through a broken window, you fell and cut your arm on the way down. Ruined your sweater but you kept insisting you were fine as I was freaking out."

Lewis sighed. "You had to get, what, six stitches? Our parents gave us hell for that. I got dish duty for a whole month."

Vivi was silent on the other end. 

"You still have that scar don't you?" Lewis asked, hope leaking into his voice.

A shaky inhale from where ever she was. It was a stupid story from so long ago but she had to remember at least some of it. At the very least she still had the scar to prove it.

"Vivi-"

"Just stop, please."

Lewis froze. His stomach had dropped somewhere near his feet at the sound of sniffling on the other end. Vivi wasn't a big cryer, she'd stubbornly deny or try and hide it until she couldn't. But now she was obviously crying on the other end. Had that changed?

"Please, just-" she let out a breath. "I know he existed. I know he did. I'm not stupid. I just- don't remember. I-"

"Vi, wait I'm sorry just-"

"No, no it's fine." A breath. "I'm fine." That last part was said more under her breath, like she was trying to convince herself. 

Lewis bit his lip. He didn't know what he could possibly say to make this better. His little story seemed to back fire in spectacular fashion. Time and his own death were a gulf between them and he wasn't used to this.

"I do remember that," Vivi sniffled and he could hear her shift the phone around, "but you weren't there. Arthur was. Next time you visit tell him to knock it off for me?"

Oh, he'll tell him to knock it off alright. This wasn't what he wanted at all. What on Earth happened while he was gone?! 

"I'm sorry," he said instead, because he didn't know what else to say.

"It's fine." From the noises on the other end, it wasn't fine. "Try and... take care of everyone for me, if you can. I'm gonna hang up now. Don't call again, please.

"Wait-!" 

Too late. Vivi had already hung up and he was left holding the phone, shell shocked. It really was as bad as he feared. Vivi didn't remember he existed at all, let alone all the time and memories together. Lewis didn't want this-!

A loud crunch. People were giving him odd looks after shaking the remains of the shattered receiver off his hand. Damn it all.

Numb, he hung the remains of the phone back up. He hadn't wanted to consider it but... had he done this? Most of what Lewis could remember, right before the end anyways, was her terrified face. He couldn't really see his own body that well but it was pretty much gaurunteed to be a horror show. All he could think about was that he didn't want her last memory of him to be _that_.

A vague memory of Vivi giving them all a ghost info dump came to mind. Dying wishes were a hell of a thing apparently. They weren't all that common however, considering most people's final thoughts were along the line of _"I don't want to die"_. They usually resulted in rather nasty hauntings when they did work but...

Nope, not gonna go there right now. After that disastrous phone call, he finally uproots his feet and makes himself move. A few people give him odd looks, but otherwise keep walking.

As Lewis returned to the mansion, turning over the phone call in his head. How long had Vivi been feeling like this? There was no way she'd be mourning him considering but that didn't stop his absence from haunting her. He ignored the curious warbles of deadbeats around him and wandered down the hall. They were still a bit on edge from Arthur's impromptu visit.

Lewis sighed, heedless of their chirping as he settled in for the night. He'd need some time to think.

 

________

 

To put it simply, Lewis didn't quite know what to do with himself. In a longer version? He felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath him. There was no where to go now, forwards or backwards.

He had tried calling Vivi again later, after he thought about what to say, but she didn't pick up. There was no way to go find her or Arthur at this point. 

So, he resigned himself to the mansion again. The deadbeats were supportive as always, attuned to his mood somehow. But even on the of best days they were a bit like excitable cats. Considering Lewis still couldn't understand them, they weren't the best for conversation.

Slowly the mansion became a tomb again. He busied himself for a few days, needlessly cleaning already spotless, fake furniture. Exploring halls he knew like the back of his hand. Lewis had spent the time before this waiting in his coffin. Like an actor in a play, just waiting for the others to enter stage left.

By day five he was considering doing that again, waiting that is. But he hesitated. There was no way of telling how long it'd before someone stumbled inside. Or what would happen outside while he rested. 

Lewis heaved a sigh, realizing he'd spent the last several hours in the same position. He was out of ideas and outside of wandering aimlessly, waiting was the only other option he had.

But now he genuinely didn't know if he could wait that long after coming so close. Even his confrontations with Arthur were better than the silence. Company wasn’t something he thought he’d even miss. Lewis had caught himself a few times in the past days muttering to himself to just fill the empty space. That was new and he didn’t like the developing habit at all. Lewis was so lost in his thoughts he almost didn’t notice as something nudged his arm. 

"Hmm?"

Lewis looked down to find a tiny deadbeat, hiding behind the arm of the chair he was sitting in. The poor thing looked nervous. Before Lewis could even think to reassure the little wisp, it rose up, clutching something in it's hands. Lewis was understandably confused as he gently took the scrap of wadded up paper from it.

But he remembered right as he unraveled it. Arthur's name was still hastily scrawled across the paper, though part of it had been torn off. Lewis frowned. He didn't really want to think about Arthur right now.

Movement drew his attention back to the deadbeat, who had ducked back behind the arm of the chair. He huffed, reaching over to give the little wisp a scratch on the head. It seemed to put the deadbeat at ease, briefly rising to lean into it more before abruptly flying off. That one seemed shy.

Right. Lewis looked back down at the paper in his hand. As much as it pained him to do so, he'd take this opportunity instead of another year or two alone. Yelling was better than nothing, right? If it got him to his goal, even better.

 

______

 

To say Arthur had been surprised at his call was an understatement. Maybe even a little excited when he realized Lewis actually needed something. Lewis had stood awkwardly, grinning at the kind man who lent him the phone behind the store counter. Thank god he found someplace with a land line. He half expected to blow the thing up with he touched it. 

It was a bit awkward to talk in front of someone else but they managed to set up a meet time for later at the mansion. Arthur had wanted neutral ground but that also meant people. 

A few minutes later of awkwardly pretending he was on friendlier terms with Arthur, he gratefully gave the phone back. The man huffed and went back to work and Lewis did as well, back to the mansion for the meet.

 

________

 

Lewis heard the deadbeats making a ruckus well before he actually saw Arthur arrive. They were already angrily swarming around, waiting for the opportunity to attack. As Lewis approached the door, they parted like a cloud. He had to wave them off as he left, assuring them they weren't needed.

Of course he wasn't at all surprised that a few followed him out anyways. Stealth wasn't exactly their strong suit.

It seemed appropriate, albeit a bit awkward to meet halfway. Lewis watched Arthur climb out of his new van. It was new to him at least, though not anything to write home about, especially compared to their van. Mid 2000s, a few scratches or dings, and not nearly as much love and passion as the van had put into it.

They stopped a ways away from each other. The silence was awkward as Lewis stared Arthur down and the mechanic was nervously twisting his hands. Still, the fact that he came at all was surprising.

"You said you knew where Vivi is," Lewis finally broke the silence, crossing his arms.

"More or less?" Arthur scratched the back of his head. "I, uh, wasn't expecting you to call."

"How?" He asked, ignoring the second part. Part of Lewis, childish as it was, was mad that he apparently knew where she was and not him. Did Vivi actually tell him?

Arthur said nothing, pulling out his phone. It was a different one with more than a few dents and cracks in it. Lewis took note that Arthur held it out for him to look at rather than to take. Probably didn't have a whole lot of phones for him to fry. 

...He definitely didn't have to resist the urge to snatch it anyways.

It took Lewis a moment to even realize what he was supposed to be looking at. A familiar little doodle in the header and Vivi's picture underneath. Lewis's eyes widened.

"She still uses that?"

It was an old blog Vivi started when they were still in highschool, detailing their ghost hunts and adventures. She still kept it up with a sizable following even now.

The picture he saw looked to be a recent one. Her hair was a little longer, the circles under her eyes were new. Even as he scoured her face for differences time had made, he felt the swell of familiarity. It was taken at the side of the road somewhere, the inside of the van in the background. Lewis could even see part of Mystery off to the side.

Arthur shrugged, pulling the phone back. Now Lewis actively had to tell himself that snatching it out his hands was a bad idea. Instead, he watched as Arthur scrolled with something a bit like nostalgia on his face.

"I didn't get to check it much, obviously, but I looked it up on a whim a few days ago. She uh, doesn't post as much now but-"

"Do you know where she is?" Lewis interrupted, anxious to get to the point.

Arthur frowned but pocketed the phone and sighed. "I know where she's been. Recently."

Something about his tone made Lewis narrow his eyes. Arthur wasn't fidgeting, wasn't avoiding his eyes. He stood stock still and met his gaze head on. It didn’t set well with the ghost.

"Arthur," Lewis ground out a warning.

"I can help," Arthur pointed out the car, pulled to the side of the road a ways back, "unless you want to fly all the way there."

"Who says that I can't?"

In life he was at least a good foot taller than Arthur. In death now he could float even higher as he moved imposingly over the mechanic. He could see Arthur swallow but surprisingly the man didn't move. 

"Considering you don't know where you're going or how to get there? I do."

Moving before he actually thought it through, Lewis had Arthur's shirt in his fist and bodily lifted the man off the ground. Arthur yelped as the ghost gave a good shake. Well, this probably wasn't his best plan considering the hospital incident but nothing had happened yet and he was angry enough not to care.

"What the hell is your angle here Arthur?!"

Arthur was breathing a bit fast, clearly trying to keep his composure. It was working a bit but Lewis could see how his arms were shaking. 

"I want to help,” he said again. It took him some effort to keep his voice even but it was determined nonetheless.

With a scoff, he tossed Arthur unceremoniously onto the ground. He was standing over him as the mechanic tried to catch his breath.

"I don't need your _help_. It's your fault I'm in this mess to begin with! Is this you feeling guilty? What happened to leaving me alone?!"

The mechanic swallowed roughly, not bothering to get up. "It's... It's not that. After this you can do whatever you want but just think about it, okay? You called Vivi already and she didn't believe you, right?”

Lewis didn't appreciate the reminder. "I can convince her."

"Do you really want to risk that?" He pushed himself up a bit. "To her you're just a random spirit that tracked her down across the country, Lewis."

Clenching his fists, Lewis looked away. The stubborn part of him wanted to believe he could make it work. What they'd had together could bring something back at least.

But at the same time he hated to admit that Arthur had a point. Vivi might just exorcise him. 

"What exactly are you suggesting? A road trip?" He laughed, feelings fading into something more resigned. Considering he needed the him now apparently he couldn't actually coerce him into giving him her location.

(If Lewis could even manage that to begin with)

Arthur's silence wasn't exactly encouraging. He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Well, yeah, basically."

"Oh for fucks sake," Lewis covered his eyes with a groan.

"Hey, she might listen if I back you up!"

"Emphasis on the _might_."

Arthur finally heaved himself to his feet, brushing the dirt off his pants. Lewis stepped back a bit, sighing. Did he really not have a choice here? The idea of being in a car with the man who killed him for who knows how long wasn't appealing. Not to mention the incident in the hospital. If Lewis had a repeat of that he'd throw himself out the damn car.

But if it meant getting to Vivi...

(If it meant having a purpose, not being alone again...)

"If you try anything, I'll run us both off the road." Lewis didn't bother to see how Arthur took that, he just started heading for the car.

If Arthur said something before he followed, Lewis didn't hear it or care to ask.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again!
> 
> Classes have started back up and I’m actually editing this the night before my first clinical of the year! (send help)
> 
> Not sure how I feel about how this chapter came together but I’m excited for the future ones!
> 
> (I also have another fic idea bouncing around in my head so maybe that’ll be in the future at some point too lol)
> 
> ((if this doesn’t make too much sense I’m gonna blame on it the tired brain and go to bed))


	7. Chapter 7

The air inside the car was... stilted to say the least. Lewis wasn't quite used to actually sitting in one anymore either. He fidgeted, shifting around in his seat and crossing his arms. Nothing seemed comfortable. That wasn't even taking into account the fact that Arthur was sitting right next to him. 

Even if he kept his gaze stubbornly forward, Lewis still noticed how the mechanic was hyper aware of his every move. Not quite flinching but it was hard to miss how hard the man was holding the steering wheel. They hadn't said anything since Arthur had picked him up and it was painfully awkward. 

Lewis scowled as the streetlights blurred past. If he really thought about it Lewis could think he might remember some of these roads. Their destination was a mystery for now, considering Arthur refused to tell him. Or say much of anything after they started driving. Dick.

The mechanic did flinch when he finally cleared his throat. God, this was going to be a long drive. 

"You said earlier you couldn't call Vivi."

Arthur sighed, drumming his fingers on the wheel. "I could. She definitely wouldn't tell me where she was at though."

"And why is that?" Vivi wasn't usually one to hold grudges. He couldn't help but wonder what changed that fact if it wasn't his death.

Arthur glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "We..." The pause was long enough Lewis was about to demand an answer when he spoke again. 

"We haven't spoke in a few months." Arthur shrugged. His tone was quiet and resigned as he stared ahead, leaving the non answer hang.

Lewis finally looked at him, instead of glaring a hole in the road ahead. For a moment he just stared, trying to pick apart what Arthur was leaving out. Though he didn't meet his gaze, Arthur fidgeted under the scrutiny. 

"What the hell happened while I was gone?" Lewis wondered out loud, shifting in his seat again.

Arthur glanced at him. "It's a long story."

"That's not an answer."

The mechanic sighed, running a hand down his face. The glint off the prosthetic caught Lewis' eye for a moment. More questions, then.

"Look," Arthur started, sounding more tired than he had any right to be, "this is going to be a long drive. Can we just... not get into this?"

In the few minutes that had passed since they left, rain had begun to fall. It pattered against the murky windshield and the wipers barely managed to keep it clear. Still, Arthur didn't slow down. Cars and machines were his wheelhouse after all.

"So you'd rather sit in silence for however long it takes to drive there? Hmm?" Lewis shot him a glare. "How long will that take? Hours? Days?"

"Lewis-"

"You don't seem to get it," Lewis sits up straighter, turns to face the man. If the temperature rose a bit he didn't notice. From the furtive glances Arthur was giving him, he did. "This isn't some fun trip we're going to pal around on, Arthur. You're here to help me? How about, oh I don't know, actually _helping_?!"

Arthur didn't shrink back, simply gripped the steering wheel harder and didn't look at him. "That's what I'm doing."

The car sputtered. Arthur jumped at the noise looking around as if the answer was in the car with him. 

"Like hell I'm gonna believe you're helping me after-" 

A crack brought his attention elsewhere. He had been holding on the center console without realising, gripping it tight enough to shatter the plastic. And melt it a bit by the smell that was quickly filling the car.

Arthur squawked at the damage but didn't get the chance to say much else. The car gave another, violent shake underneath them as purple sparks flared up around the dash. A horn blared to their left and Arthur cursed, hurriedly pulling the car off the side of the highway and hitting the hazard lights.

"Asshole," Arthur muttered, killing the engine and taking a breath. 

The rain was still sprinkling as cars zoomed past beside them. Lewis hadn't intended on wrecking their only transportation, he hadn't even known he could do that. He couldn't think of what to say though and huffed, more at himself than anything. They hadn't even been in the car for more than half an hour.

"I'm gonna," Arthur gestured uselessly towards the front of the car before getting out. 

Lewis watched him go, scowling. He crossed his arms with a sigh, even more bored than before. He heard the trunk popping open behind him as Arthur rummaged around in back. It's a good thing he was a mechanic because this trip would've gone from bad to worse.

The minutes passed as Arthur checked out the car. With the rain finally petering out, he popped the hood and got to work doing... whatever it was he was doing. Lewis huffed, fidgeting in his seat again. They'd left late into the night but daybreak wasn't far off. He hadn't seen a need to disguise himself on the isolated highway so far but the longer they sat here the more restless he became. 

Lewis wouldn't say he startled as the hood was slammed back down. Practically falling back into the car, Arthur scrubs a hand down his face. Cars weren't his area of expertise but Lewis could figure it hadn't been long enough to actually fix anything. He said nothing as Arthur simply held the wheel, looking ahead.

"You couldn't fix it, could you." Lewis knew why but he wasn't about to say it.

"No, I didn't," he ran a hand through his hair, tone flat.

"Well are you just going to sit there, Arthur or-"

"Just give me a minute!" Lewis blinked at the outburst. Arthur gave a shaky sigh, slumping back in his seat. 

"Arthur-"

"I don't have a right to ask for much but just give me a damn minute. I-" he shook his head, "I don't know what I'm even doing."

He covered his face with his hands and Lewis was helpless but to watch. Well, the sooner they got through... whatever was going on with him the sooner they could get back to driving. 

"What are you doing, Arthur?" 

The look he shot Lewis was more tired than he'd seen in a while. The dark circles stood out under the lights from the highway. Arthur frowned, shaking his head.

"I just... wanted to make myself useful, somehow. We didn't even make it an hour out and I can't even concentrate on this car." The metal fingers on his hand drummed against the steering wheel. "It's in Nevada."

"Nevada?"

"Vivi is, I mean," Arthur glanced at him and shrugged. "Some, little town with a ski lodge."

Lewis wasn't sure what to do with that information. He wanted to know because he hated being reliant on the other man. Figuring out how to get there would be a pain though. Not to mention that Arthur had a point, Vivi might be more receptive if he had someone to back him up.

"Okay..." he grimaced. This was going to take a while but considering he was somehow the most functioning one at the moment... "When's the last time you actually had a good night's sleep?"

"That's not-"

"It clearly is. You weren't even out there for ten minutes. You're fried, Arthur," Lewis sighed, wishing desperately for the awkward silence from before now. 

"I'm fine, it's just the damn car-" 

Arthur huffed, reaching out and hitting the dash like a petulant child. They both jumped back as purple sparks exploded from the car, conducted by his prosthetic. They both stared for a moment as the arm fell limp and the car helpfully started back up.

"Well that's... one problem solved?" Arthur gave a half hearted chuckle. 

"You're a dumbass."

"You broke my car."

Lewis grumbled, forgoing the door and phasing through it. The rain had stopped completely. He still wasn't sure if he could travel in it or not. Lewis did use the door on the driver's side, looming over a confused Arthur. 

"Get out," Lewis leaned on the roof of the car, gesturing out.

"What? Why?" Arthur grabbed hold of the wheel with one hand like Lewis might yank him out of the car. Which he might at this rate.

Instead of dignifying that was a response, Lewis grabbed the man's prosthetic. The two of them watched as he dropped it back onto Arthur's lap. 

"I'm driving. Get out." Arthur looked ready to argue again. "Kingsman if you don't get out this damn car, I swear to God-"

"Alright, alright!" The mechanic frowned as he held his prosthetic to his chest. Lewis impatiently waited for him to get out of the way before settling into the driver's seat. He forgot how short Arthur was! As he was trying to figure out how to adjust the seat as the mechanic got back into the car.

"You don't even know where you're going," he argued, preoccupied with the nonfunctional arm in his lap. 

"Then give me directions," he growled, finally ratcheting the seat back far enough his legs didn't hit the wheel. Arthur didn't look too pleased but told him the exit he should look for. 

"Do you..." Arthur hesitated for a moment, "you still remember how to drive right?"

"It's been a couple years not a couple centuries, Arthur," Lewis put the car into drive, "of course I remember how to drive."

A horrible crunch ground out as soon as Lewis tried to pull back out onto the highway. Arthur froze, eyes wide. 

"My tool box!"

"You can get a new one!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM ALIVE!
> 
> Also currently avoiding homework but I’m being productive in some way so I’ll give myself some points. Anyways, hope you like the bit of road trip interaction between these two! (with a not so subtle nod to hellbent too)
> 
> Have a great night/day and thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

There were some benefits to this, he supposed. Being a ghost meant he didn't really need to sleep. Well, not technically anyways. Certainly not like he did when he was alive. If he wanted to, Lewis could drive until the car ran out of gas and never have to stop. 

But there were some caveats to that. The sun was well into the sky at this point and the highway was starting to fill with more cars. This was probably the longest he'd had to keep a disguise up. He couldn't stop himself from glancing down at his hands occasionally just to make sure they were flesh and not bone. Lewis knew it was ridiculous but the though of other drivers looking at him as they flew down the road kept creeping back up on him.

Before it wasn't an issue, he didn't have to be out here and could always cut and run. Now though, he had to stick around. He didn't have all the details nor a map or GPS he couldn't accidentally fry. Theoretically he could still just peace out and let the car careen into a drainage ditch. Wouldn't that be hilarious. His quest for revenge is as easy as yeeting Arthur and his car off the highway. 

He contemplated that for maybe a few seconds before chucking it out the metaphorical window. Lewis hated admitting it even to himself that he kind of needed Arthur's help. Not to mention the mechanic was dead to the world right now. It seemed like poor sportsmanship.

Or at least that's what he settled on.

On that note though, the other man's snoring was getting on his nerves. Arthur's efforts to stay awake were valiant but ultimately in vain. Lewis glanced over, scoffing at the drool that got onto the man's jacket. As exhausted as he apparently was, Arthur fell asleep with his face mushed against the window.

It probably would help if he got an actual full night's sleep but Lewis had been driving for a while. He figured before he could just let Arthur sleep and kept going. It was probably fine. 

He probably missed their exit. 

Quite a few exits.

He only noticed long after he failed to take the turn. In his defence, he hadn't driven in a while and his mind was on other things. 

Because of course Arthur was sleep deprived and fell asleep on him. Of course he couldn't actually check a map or a phone. _Of course_ Lewis was in this situation. Ridiculous and as frustrating as it was.

_Cause and effect_ , Lewis thought as he shot a glare at the mechanic. _His fault you're here in the first place_. 

Sending the car off the road was out of the question but Lewis was just petty enough to fuck with him. Plus he felt like he was going to go insane if he was left to his thoughts for much longer.

Slowly he pulled the wheel a bit to the right. Just enough to send the car a bit out of the lane. Right onto the rumble strips.

Arthur jumped awake, bracing himself against the seat, wide eyed and panicked. Carefully guiding the car right back where it was, Lewis played it off in a tone too casual to actually be genuine.

"Whoops."

From the look that got him it was just as convincing as it sounded. Arthur adjusted his seat belt, wiping off the drool on his face with a grimace. He glanced around for a moment before digging out his phone. The prosthetic seemed to be working again at least, Lewis noticed.

After Arthur calmed down a bit, silence hung in the car again. That is until Arthur sighed.

"You missed the exit."

"I know," Lewis grit his teeth.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Lewis only answered with a huff. Arthur gave him a weird look before grabbing a backpack he had stashed in the back. From what little he could see, it had some basic toiletries, some clothes, and a phone charger he pulled out. One phone plugged in and a new route planned and they were good to go again.

Pulling off onto a new exit, Lewis glanced over. Arthur was busy looking at the map on his phone, expression pinched. He looked a bit more coherent at least. Now he just looked like he needed to run a comb through his hair and not a full scale intervention. Flexing his fingers around the steering wheel, Lewis broke the silence.

"So," he said, drawing the syllable out, "you feeling any better?"

Arthur looked up, confused for a moment. "Uh, yeah I guess? I mean-"

"Great, great," Lewis cut in, forced calm. This highway was pretty much packed and Lewis had to actually pay attention to merge onto the highway. The car picked up speed and Lewis caught a flash of white on his hands. God damn it, he thought viciously, taking a moment to will the disguise back on.

Arthur glanced at the cars around them and back to Lewis, missing the slip in his concentration but concern plain on his face. 

"Are... are you okay?" 

"I'm fine," Lewis managed, noticing how strained he sounded even to himself. He wasn't overdoing it was he? Lewis had practiced so much with keeping the disguise up.

Arthur frowned, lips pressed in a tight line. He glanced at the wheel for a moment before hesitantly saying, "Maybe I should drive for a while?"

He was already shaking his head with a scoff. "No, you just woke up. I'm fine."

The car was accelerating still and Lewis only noticed when he started rapidly catching up with the car in front of him. He took a breath, eased up off the gas, and set the cruise control. 

"Uh, hey big guy-" 

"What?" He snapped, turning to see Arthur wide eyed and pointing to his face. 

Shit. One glance in the rear view mirror revealed Lewis looking a bit more skeletal than before. He managed to get a grip eventually, human visage coming back to him clenched jaw and all. 

It was fine, he was fine. Lewis checked the mirrors again, just to make sure the disguise was still up when the car in the next lane catches his eye. It was keeping pace with him on the congested highway, giving him a good view of the kid in the back seat. 

He couldn't have been much older than Paprika. Still young enough for a booster seat. Lewis watched, frozen as the boy was hurriedly pulling at his seat belt. Seemingly yelling for his mom up front and pointing at their car. It became horrifically clear that someone had seen him after all. The kid looked terrified-

" _Lewis!_ " 

He jumped, turning back to the road just in time to see the car stopped in front of them. 

"Shit!"

Slamming on the brakes, he jerked the wheel to the right. Horns blared as he pulled them off onto the shoulder. Luckily the car behind them was going slower and stopped in time, avoiding a pile up in the middle of the highway. 

The car gave a shudder as Arthur hurriedly hit the hazard lights. Lewis took a moment to try and get himself together, the traffic eventually speeding back up beside them. 

The steering wheel creaked under Lewis' hands. His chest was heaving, trying to get air when he couldn't anymore. Cars whizzed by as their radio fizzed in and out with static. 

He noticed Arthur trying to talk to him over the noise and turned just as the mechanic went to grab his shoulder. Lewis flinched back, roughly pushing the man away.

Arthur had his hands up, trying to calm him down like he was a scared animal. 

"Just try and breathe, big guy."

"I don't even need to breathe," Lewis snapped back, half hysterical.

"Just humor me, c'mon," Arthur took a steady breath in, exhaling long and slow. 

He tried to follow along, minutes passing as the two of them just breathed. Finally, feeling calmer but infinitely more embarrassed, Lewis leaned back against the seat. Arthur looked him over, wanting to say something but perhaps wisely choosing to stay silent.

"You're driving," Lewis said, getting out of the car. 

\------

Arthur had them back on the road within minutes, the car none the worse for wear. The occupants weren't fairing quite as well, however. Any questions as to whether Lewis was doing alright were ignored, the ghost wanting nothing more than to forget it even happened. Arthur apparently didn't get the message.

"Well," Arthur said, familiar and annoying nervous smile on his face, "you didn't break the car this time at least."

Lewis didn't deign that with a response, keeping up the same stony silence of the last half hour. Glaring at the road ahead of them, the ghost was counting the miles until they got to their destination. Even by his generous, hopeful estimation the number was still depressingly large.

Arthur wasn't deterred by his silence though. In a role swap Lewis was not at all happy with, the mechanic was filling the emptiness with random chatter. Lewis wasn't paying much attention either way. He was thinking more about that little boy, just as little as Paprika, and wondering what he could've been saying to his mom. Would his sisters react the same way if they saw him now? That kid didn't even know him and was still terrified.

"Maybe we should pull off somewhere," Arthur's musing to himself finally pulled Lewis out of his thoughts. 

"What? Why?" 

Arthur seemed surprised he actually responded for a moment, shrugging with an almost apologetic expression. 

"Think we both need the rest, big guy."

Lewis frowned, turning to look out the window. "Don't call me that." 

Arthur's expression fell but he quickly cleared his throat and covered up the disappointment. "Still, we've been on the road a while. Vivi'll be pissed if we kill ourselves getting there."

The unfortunate wording wasn't lost on the mechanic, who shot a glance at the resident ghost. Lewis rolled his eyes, deciding it wasn't worth getting worked up about.

"If you're getting tired I can drive. I don't actually need sleep anymore, Arthur." 

A sigh from his left. "That's not what I meant."

A beat passed. "Fine, _fine_! Find a hotel or something, I don't care. Probably need gas anyways."

Arthur seemed to relax a bit, nodding and keeping a look out for the next exit. It came entirely too soon and Lewis' mood only soured as their progressed slowed, finally coming to a stop entirely at a small motel. 

Some kind of chain hotel, right next to the highway exit as the traffic roared around them. Arthur pulled the car in and turned to Lewis. 

"I'm gonna- go get a room if you wanna come with?"

Lewis shook his head. "I'll catch up with you later."

Arthur was reluctant to leave him though. Whether from worry or suspicion that might leave on his own the ghost couldn't tell. 

"You sure?"

"Get out, Arthur."

Finally the mechanic left, shooting a look over his shoulder as he entered the building. Lewis sighed, slumping against the seat and rubbing at his eyes. 

After a few minutes, Lewis exits the car too, locking it behind him. Maybe getting some time to himself would help. Being around so many people, Arthur being one of them, wasn't doing much for his nerves. 

Not having a destination in mind, Lewis starting walking across the parking lot. His heels clicking against the pavement, he adjusted his default suit jacket and got to wandering.

\------

It was late into the evening when Lewis returned, feeling lighter than he had before. His plan had worked! Lewis had wandered far enough to come to a wooded area, free of people and prying eyes. He was able to let the pretense drop and just be there for a while. 

For the first time since they'd set out, Lewis missed the mansion. Not for the place but for the deadbeats. They weren't much for conversation but they still understood. Their companionship was easy, comfortable.

Lewis barely remembered to throw the disguise back on before returning to civilization. The hotel was mostly dark and Lewis passed in between the cars in the parking lot. He glanced into Arthur's car and stopped, squinting. 

Of course Arthur had left the door unlocked. Lewis shook his head, snatching up the note on the dash with his name on it. The mechanic was lucky he took his bag inside. If Arthur got his car stolen Lewis was gonna kill him. 

He flipped the note open to find a hotel key taped to the inside with a little message written out for him. 

_'in room 180 whenever you get back'_

Lewis shook his head, pocketing the note and the hotel key. Not only did he leave the car unlocked but also left a convenient bread crumb trail right to him with a bonus key for whoever came by. Not to mention Lewis didn't even _need_ one!

Shutting and locking the car again, Lewis marched into the hotel, the person working the desk giving him a tired greeting as he passed. Luckily their room was on the first floor. Considering Lewis' current track record with electronics he wasn't going to trust himself in an elevator any time soon.

Instead of simply phasing through the door, Lewis slotted in the key and stepped into the darkened hotel room. The TV was still on, playing some comercial as Arthur lay passed out on the bed. 

Well, one of the beds. The man had got them a double room which Lewis thought was a waste of money considering he didn't need the sleep anyways.

The man had been busy while Lewis was gone apparently. Electronics and wiring lay in a mess on the hotel desk, tools and screws scattered about. Lewis couldn't even begin to guess what it was supposed to be. Not Arthur's arm at least, since that was still firmly attached to the man.

The mechanic himself was starfished out across the bed, snoring with the TV remote was still loosely grasped in his hand. Lewis noticed the half empty cans of energy drinks on the desk and end table and sighed. Still exhausted enough the caffeine didn't help then. 

If Arthur kept running himself into the ground this was gonna be a long trip. Hmm. Lewis stood there a moment, glaring down at the sleeping man. 

Arthur twitched in his sleep and Lewis very much didn't startle. Not at all. The mechanic didn't seem to be having the best time, now that he was looking closer. His expression was pinched and Lewis noticed the thin sheen of sweat on his face.

God damn it. 

The man let out a small whimper in his sleep. Oh that was _irritating_.

Shaking his head he snatched up the remaining cans and dumped them into the sink before throwing them out. Arthur was asleep on top the covers so Lewis just took the ones off his bed to drape over the man. Finally, he grabbed the remote from the man's hand and shut the TV off, setting it on the end table, cursing the man under his breath all the while. And his own conscience.

Letting out a breath, Lewis settled back onto his bed. Arthur seemed to quiet down a bit for the moment at least. Without the TV on the background, the only sound in the room was the quiet hum of air conditioner and Arthur's snores.

Without much else to do in the meantime, Lewis laid back, trying to get comfortable. He didn't know how long he spent looking at the plain white popcorn ceiling before he drifted off into not quite sleep too.


	9. Chapter 9

When Lewis became aware again, the TV was back on. Sunlight was starting to peak in through the window as some news channel talked about the weather in the background. It reminded him of after they all got out high school. Arthur and his uncle had fixed the van up and they went road tripping/ghost hunting. It was only when they were really wiped out or it was too cold outside that they got an actual hotel room. He’d wake up to find Vivi starfished out across him and the bed, Arthur watching some early morning TV over a cup of crappy hotel coffee.

It was comfortable. Familiar. 

Lewis blinked up at the wall for a moment, mentally shrugging off the memories and wondering where the hell he was. 

There were noises to his right. Metal on metal, soft muttering. He started, remembering all at once and sitting up in a rush. 

Arthur looked up from the mess on the hotel desk and gave him a hesitant little wave. There was a little flashlight hanging from his mouth and a screwdriver clutched in his hand. Without waiting for him to respond he went right back to work. On whatever the hell it was.

Lewis ran a hand down his face. Why the hell did he have to... go dormant, he supposed, with him in the room. Maybe he did push himself a bit too hard.

"What time is it?" He asked, easily floating to his feet. The sooner they got back on the road the better. Their room looked almost the same save for the linens and the mess on the desk. Shouldn't take them too long to leave.

Arthur looked around for a moment, probably trying to find a free spot on the desk. Finally he set down the flashlight and looked at his phone. 

"About 6:30," he turned, giving Lewis a once over, "did you uh... sleep well?"

Lewis sighed. "I wasn't sleeping."

"Looked an awful lot like sleeping to me, bi-" he cleared his throat, "Lewis."

"Well it wasn't," he growled, crossing his arms. "In case you forgot, ghosts don't really need much sleep, Arthur."

A pause. He looked like he had something to say but was debating if it was a good idea or not. It was definitely too early for this.

"You were definitely snoring."

"No I was not!" Lewis paused, blew out a measured breath, reigned in his annoyance. Arthur had flinched slightly from the rise in volume but didn't seem overly frightened. When he went to tell Arthur to get his stuff together, he was met with an expression he couldn't quite put a name to. "What?" 

Lewis looked down at himself. He wasn't keeping up the disguise right now. Arthur had seen it before in much more frightening circumstances so it probably wasn't that.

"Nothing I just," the mechanic looked away for a moment, "I thought you left for a while there last night."

Lewis squinted. "What? Why?"

The man squirmed for a moment, obviously regretting bringing it up at all. "I don't know man! You were gone for a long time!"

"Yeah," Lewis said slowly, "we've already established I kind of need your help here." He huffed, hating even having to say that much. "Don't exactly know where I'm going."

"That's-" Arthur sighed. "I know that. I thought you might've just... changed your mind?"

Lewis rolled his eyes. "If I was going to bail it would've been before we got the hotel room, Kingsman." 

Arthur didn't seem satisfied but elected not to push it. He broke eye contact, looking down at the mess of wires and electronic components in front of him. If he left the man to it he'd be in here all day.

"C'mon we still have a lot of ground to cover." Lewis was picking up covers that the mechanic had kicked onto the floor.

"Just gimme a second, I'm almost done," he picked up a small screwdriver and Lewis frowned. Arthur appeared to be working on a phone maybe? The plastic shell in front of him was that size. It was still hard to tell considering all he could see was the inner guts of the thing.

Lewis spotted more junk under the desk and narrowed his eyes. "Were you _soldering_ in our hotel room?"

"Just spot soldering!" He tried pushing the small bin of equipment further under the desk as if that would help.

"Please tell me you brought stuff you'll actually need."

Arthur frowned, setting his tools down and dragging his bag closer. "Of course I did, I'm not an idiot."

"Could've fooled me," Lewis grumbled.

"Lemme just pack this stuff up then we caAAH-" 

Arthur jumped back, falling out of his chair in fright. Lewis tensed, heart jumping as the bag spilled it's contents across the floor. It was mostly the necessities for a road trip, to Arthur's credit. But there was a bright shock of pink that Lewis knows he definitely didn't pack.

"What the hell?!" Arthur shrilled, hand tangled in the fabric over his heart. He glared up at him. "Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Lewis huffed. "No. I wasn't the one who decided to become a stowaway." His tone became more stern as he glared down at the tiny, offending wisp on the carpet.

The little deadbeat was dazed from the tumble out of the bag but looked appropriately apologetic. Lewis remembered that this was the nervous one, the one that had found the note with Arthur's number on it for him. And also apparently hid in the man's bag without either of them noticing, the little sneak.

"Why on earth did you do that?" Lewis bent over, offering his hand to the wisp. He readily wove himself in between the larger ghost’s fingers, giving him the best puppy dog eyes he'd seen in a while. "Nope, not gonna work. Vivi is way better at that than you are."

Now that he actually had the deadbeat in his hands he relaxed a bit. Now he could still feel the energy coming off the little guy. Lewis knew they could stay away from him for long periods of time provided they stayed in the mansion but he didn't know how they'd do away from the mansion. They really didn't have a lot of energy to spare. 

"You're lucky I was this close by," Lewis grumbled, giving him a scratch on the head. The deadbeat leaned into the touch, humming in the odd way that a lot of them did.

Lewis shuddered to think what would've happened had Arthur's bag been stolen. The wisp would've faded away sooner than Lewis was comfortable considering.

"Huh."

He forgot Arthur was in the room with them. The mechanic had recovered a bit, pulling himself to his feet and dusting his pants off, keeping a respectable distance. He was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. 

"What?" Lewis snapped a bit too harshly. Arthur jumped and the deadbeat hid behind Lewis' hand. 

"Nothing just," he scratched the back of his head, "you reminded of, ah, you, I guess."

Lewis blinked, taken aback. Before he could parse through what the hell that meant, the deadbeat turned his attention to Arthur. He chirped, zipping over to him in a pink blur. The mechanic yelped, standing deathly still as the wisp coiled around his arm. 

" _Lewis_ " it came out high pitched as the man was trying not to panic.

The deadbeat ignored the man's distress, chittering in question.

"You gotta be kidding me," Lewis said deadpan. "That wisp is tiny and you've been driving with an actual wraith for an entire day."

"These things almost mauled me yesterday!"

"They're the size of house cats!"

"House cats have teeth, Lewis!" 

The trilling from the deadbeat, still wrapped around Arthur's wrist like a supernatural bracelet, sounded almost like laughter. It was new to Lewis, especially from this deadbeat. Despite that, Arthur was still looking at him like the wisp was liable to bite off his hand.

"He's clearly not going to hurt you," Lewis grumbled, crossing his arms. Why the hell did it go and cuddle up to Arthur of all people?

"Can you...?” Arthur gave his arm a shake. The deadbeat, if anything, just held on tighter, pouting. He tried addressing the wisp itself, "Can you, uh get off me, little guy?"

The wisp cocked his head to the side before looking over at Lewis. 

"C'mon," he said tiredly. The wisp gave a breathy sigh before uncoiling from Arthur's arm and floating back to Lewis. The deadbeat settled around the ghosts shoulders, making himself comfortable.

"Okay, well, I'll uh-" Arthur gestured to the electronics and toiletries strewn across the floor. He was glancing nervously between Lewis and the deadbeat, clearly a little shaken. 

"I'm gonna go start the car, make it quick." Lewis made sure his disguise was good before stepping out of the room.

Wait.

He looked over to see the deadbeat staring back with wide eyes. This just got a bit more complicated. The little guy definitely didn't have enough energy on its own to disguise itself. He didn't even know what the deadbeat could disguise itself as.

"Hmm," he glanced down the hall before concentrating for a moment. A plain hoodie and jeans replaced the suit with a bit of effort. He held the pocket open and tried to cajole the deadbeat along. 

"C'mon, I don't have any other way to hide you,” he gave the fabric a shake.

The wisp definitely wasn't a fan of the idea but slipped into the roomy front pocket anyways. If Lewis had to compare the little guy to an animal now, he'd probably go with a snake. It was coiled inside the hoodie pocket and peeking up at him out of the opening. 

Okay that was pretty damn cute.

"Alright, starting the car," Lewis said to himself, setting off down the hall.

\--------

At first Lewis was relieved when he found their little stowaway. He had missed them and their easy company. Plus it was nice to have another ghost around even if their communication was a little limited. 

Now though? He felt like that parent threatening to turn the car around. This deadbeat had somehow gone from painfully shy to an outright menace in the last hour.

"He's really not being that bad."

Lewis glared over at Arthur and the little traitor. He was riding shotgun this time with the addition of a tiny deadbeat curled up in his lap like a satisfied cat. His fear of it dissipated after he ventured out with his quick hotel breakfast. The wisp was immediately curious and all it took was one little bite of a danish and Arthur was the new favourite.

The mechanic tore off another bit of pastry. "They're kinda like little kittens. Or maybe puppies. A baby version of something anyway."

The deadbeat quickly snatched the treat and happily munched away. Lewis narrowed his eyes and the deadbeat looked entirely too pleased with itself.

"Actually, do they have names?"

"What?"

"What do you call them? Can you understand them?" Arthur looked down and simply gave the rest of the danish to the deadbeat. The wisp looked awed, glancing up as if making sure the man was serious.

"Uh, just... deadbeats. And no I can't understand them." Lewis didn't even know where they came from to begin with.

Arthur's eyebrows drew together. "So none of them have names?"

"I don't know Arthur it's not like I can ask!"

The mechanic hummed, scratching the deadbeats head. He seemed to think for a moment, sipping at his coffee. Lewis hoped he dropped the issue for a moment but he really should've known better.

"Can I name him? Or her? Them?" Arthur asked suddenly. "Better than using deadbeat constantly."

Lewis blinked. He wasn't sure if they were ever people, if they had names to begin with. "I'm not the one you should ask."

"Oh! Right uh," he poked at the deadbeat again. The wisp looked up from his feast, crumbs all over his face. "You wanna brainstorm a name? If you don't already have one?"

The deadbeat lit up, chittering rapidly. Pastry abandoned, he zipped up and around the car. Lewis glanced up in the rear view mirror and was glad they were on a relatively empty freeway.

"Uh, have you ever given them sugar?" Arthur asked, turning to watch the deadbeat ping pong around in the backseat.

"No," Lewis sighed, feeling exhausted already.

The wisp came to a stop, curled up on top of the mechanics head. "I'll take that as a yes?"

A happy warble.

"You're getting crumbs in my hair but that's okay."

Lewis shook his head, watching the road signs pass by. They had crossed over into New Mexico yesterday, stopping a little while after avoiding Albequerque. They still had a few hours before reaching Utah. Hopefully they would reach their destination either late tonight or sometime tomorrow. If Vivi was still sticking around that is.

"What do you think Lewis?"

"Hmm?"

"Percival, for a name I mean," Arthur took another sip of his coffee as the deadbeat was practically vibrating in excitement.

"What? Like the knight?" Lewis scoffed. "No."

"Why not?" Arthur sounded genuinely put out at that.

Lewis leaned back, shooting him an exasperated look. "You can't tell me he looks like a Percival."

Arthur crossed his arms. "Well give us a better idea then."

He really should've expected to get roped into this. Lewis hadn't thought of it much before and hummed. The teeny wisp was looking at him expectantly, like he was about to show him something amazing. Unbidden, he was reminded of his sisters again. 

Lewis clears his throat. "Pasilla."

"Pasilla?"

He shifted, looking strictly at the road. "Like the pepper," he mumbled.

A snort. Lewis glared at the man as Arthur covered his mouth, trying and failing to stifle his laugh.

"It's better than Percival, you ass."

"Hey Percival is a respectable name!" Arthur was openly chuckling now.

"Yeah for an old English man!" Lewis shot back. "With those, uh, those horn rimmed glasses and a small, yippy dog!"

"Percival was a knight! It's chivalrous!"

"It's ye olde English!" Lewis lets out a laugh. "I can smell the mothballs and stale tea just thinking about it.“

Arthur was saying something else but Lewis was got up in what just happened, frozen. Christ, when was the last time he'd actually laughed? He didn't quite know what to do with this information. Never mind the fact that it was _Arthur._

The man who'd killed him. 

~~(Who was his best friend.)~~

The man who was still keeping secrets.

~~(It was almost like old times, just for a second there.)~~

The man who he definitely couldn't trust.

_~~(He kind of missed it.)~~_

Lewis frowned, looking down at his hands. Still human, still good. For now at least. Arthur didn't seem to notice his sudden quiet, having an animated (if not one sided) conversation with the deadbeat.

His need for answers (or revenge) was niggling at him again. But the last time he brought something like this up he ended up breaking the damn car. Lewis drummed his fingers against the wheel. 

Arthur was human. They'd have to stop at some point. Lewis resolved to get to the bottom of this by the next rest stop. He was counting the miles with something unidentifiable in the pit of his stomach.

Should he speed up or slow down?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory thanks for reading this again!  
> I really couldn't resist sneaking the lil deadbeats in here again! I remember seeing a lot of writing with Arthur naming pets or deadbeats with other Knights of the round table names and I thought that was interesting enough to extend the same concept to Lewis.  
> (I also don't actually know which one I prefer lol)
> 
> Anyways!  
> Bit of a calmer chapter before we get into the meat of things again ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> Thanks again for reading! (you're the best!)


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